Rio delegates at London Citizens' HQ in Whitechapel

Brazil’s delegation to London to get the low-down on how the 2012 Olympics were put together made a last stop in the East End today (Weds) to meet London Citizens before returning home to prepare for Rio 2016.

The Rio de Janeiro authorities sent the delegation to Britain in July to study how East London was coping and were impressed with the ‘Living Wage’ campaign for Olympic workers and the job placements organised by London Citizens community network.

So they dropped in at London Citizens’ headquarters in Whitechapel, in the heart of Olympics ‘host’ borough Tower Hamlets, bearing gifts.

“They’re donating all their office equipment to our member-organisations before they leave,” said Citizens’ founder Neil Jameson. “That includes laptops, mobile phones, furniture and at least 20 TVs which we’ll distribute among our 250 voluntary and community groups.”

The delegation, which set up its temporary base at Somerset House in The Strand, met East End community leaders over lunch and agreed to arrange to twin schools in London with schools in Rio as a legacy to both London 2012 and Rio 2016. They return to Rio on Friday.